Metro FM received a backlash from listeners after they granted bogus Dr Matthew Lani an interview. They accused the station of promoting a fraud. The station said they were investigating why and who approved the interview. It has since emerged that the presenter of the show has been given a written warning regarding the matter, a claim the station is disputing.
Hardly seven months into her new job, radio personality and businesswoman, Faith Mangope found herself in a stew after interviewing Lani on Monday night during the Metro FM Talk with Faith Mangope for an hour, between 7 and 8pm. Lani a popular TikTok influencer, a bogus doctor, tried to convince Mangope that he is a doctor, even after telling security guards at the Johannesburg hospital that he was not a doctor after he was apprehended trying to create content for his social media followers. According to a source at the station management issued the presenter with a precautionary warning letter. The source added that the bosses were divided by the stunt pulled by Mangope. While others wanted her to face the music for putting the station into disrepute, others praised her for trying to get more listeners for her show during that hour.
Lani's appearance was advertise prior to the show on the station's online platforms. The source said: "The strategy of bringing Lani in studio was a gamble that didn't work. Faith and her team were trying a strategy to draw in listeners, while on the other hand they wanted to be controversial. This left her with egg on the face because Lani spoke for an hour but said nothing. The most insulting part for the station was when Faith took photos with Lani as if she was star-struck," the source said. The station removed the interview between Mangope and Lani off the station's website. The pictures Mangope took with Lani were also removed from their social media pages. According to the source, no podcast will be available in the future. SABC spokesperson Sibusiso Gumbi denied allegations that the station gave Faith precautionary warning.
